“Another burial?” Einar Utzon-Frank muttered as he sculpted an angel for Söndermark Kirkegård’s relief. Welcome to Söndermark Kirkegård. It is a peaceful oasis in Frederiksberg. This cemetery is the youngest of Frederiksberg’s three municipal cemeteries.
Söndermark Kirkegård was established in 1929. The need for more burial space was growing. Frederiksberg Municipality even bought land in Bröndbyöster. This secured space for future graves.
Gudmund Nyeland Brandt designed the cemetery. He was a landscape architect. His plan created a serene final resting place.
A chapel and crematorium were planned from the start. Architects Edvard Thomsen and Frits Schlegel won the 1926 competition for the design. Their complex is a prime example of early Modernism. It stands as religious architecture.
The facade features niches for urns. These niches evoke Roman catacombs. Einar Utzon-Frank created a relief for the building’s front. It shows an angel gathering grain stalks. Beneath the angel are the Greek letters alpha and omega. The chapel has a large hall and a small hall. Gunnar Jacobsen decorated them with frescoes. These frescoes depict life from birth to death.
Bronze doors with “Day” and “Night” motifs adorn the chapel. Olaf Stæhr-Nielsen created them with Fritz Schegel. Next to the chapel is an urn garden. It is designed as a pergola. Urns can be placed in the walls here.
Söndermark Kirkegård was one of Denmark’s first cemeteries. It had a common burial ground for urns. This area was later expanded. It is now in the southern part of the cemetery called Birkelunden. Birkelunden opened in 1963.
A brick wall borders the cemetery along Roskildevej. A gate leads to an avenue of chestnut trees. This avenue leads to the chapel. The cemetery’s layout is traditional. Vegetation is kept low. This allows views across the area. Only a few large trees and artworks interrupt the landscape. Two buildings face Roskildevej. One served as an office. The other was the head gardener’s residence.
Many notable people are buried here. They include Ove Abildgaard and Jytte Breuning. Also, John Christmas Möller rests here. Many are interred in Birkelunden. These include Ebba Amfeldt and Tove Bang. Also, Benjamin Christensen is buried there.
Söndermark Kirkegård offers peace and beauty. It is a significant part of Frederiksberg’s history. It is a place for remembrance and reflection.